Switch



Sept 16, l952 E. T. PLATZ ETAL 2,611,052

SWITCH Filed Jan. 25, 1947 2 SHEETS-Smm 1 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 NVENTORS BY& @who S 9W ATTCRNEY EjT. PLATZ ETAL SWITCH Sept; 16, 1952 Filed Jan 25 1947 Patented Sept. 16, 1952 SWITCH Elwood T. Platz and Russell S. Davis, Detroit, Mich., assignors to BuilDog Electric Products Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of West Virginia Application January 25, 1%?, Serial No. 724,430

(o1. 2te-ss) 2 claims. 1

This application relates to switches, and discloses a switch wherein manual operation is provided by an exposed handle, formed as a push button, to be pushed in manually from a restout position and then released, to be pushed out from the casing to that rest-out position by a handle-biasing spring. During its cycle of travel, it controls or causes the switch to open, if itis closed, or to close if it is open.

In the switch here shown, a latch is used to control the operation of the operating spring upon the movable contactor of the switch. The push button directly controls relatching and contact closing, through a translator. It also directly controls latch tripping for manual Contact opening. Since the switch shown is of the automatic controlled circuit opening type, as well as the manual controlled circuit opening type, automatically operable and circuit condition responsive latch tripping means, operating independently of the push button, are employed.

For automatic control oi the latch, two optional, ditierent and separate latch releasing means `are shown. The first includes the latch itself, the latter being formed as a bimetal strip, warping on overload to unlatch. The second is a separate means, shown as an electromagnet, for moving the latch for unlatching. While both are herein shown, either alone may be employed if desired. Thus, it will be seen that three separate and distinct means are provided to operate on the latch for unlatching: the handle, the bimetal strip and the electromagnet.

Since all movements of the push button are identical, and since the button is provided not only to control the opening of the circuit, but also to control the closing of the circuit, a translator is employed for translating successive identical button movements into successive different movable contact movements, depending on the position or" the movable contact at the start of button movement. The translator position is determined by the position of the movable contact. if the circuit is open, the translator is in position to be engaged by the button and translate the next button movement into circuit closing movement of the contact. if the circuit is closed, the translator is out of position to be engaged by the button, but rather the latch will be engaged by the button for unlatching, or the latch will be unlatched automatically and then the circuit is opened, whereupon, the translator is moved to button engaging position for circuit closing on the next button movement.

The switch herein shown also includes ambient temperature compensating means for maintaining a predetermined latch calibration, despite variations in ambient temperature.

The switch above described is shown in the appended drawings.

In these drawings,

Figs. l and 2 are views showing the parts in on and ofi positions, respectively.

Fig. 3 is an exploded View showing parts in detail.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. l, with parts omitted for the sake of clarity.

Fig. 5 is a view like Fig. 4, but showing the parts in oli position.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view oi certain parts,

The drawings show the switch as comprising a cup-shaped casing l0, having an open front closed by a plate or cover il, secured thereto as by screws, not shown. The back of the case is formed with two openings for line and load terminals, of which one is shown at i4. The casing has an opening It, in which reciprocates a handle or actuator il formed as a push button, to be engaged by the linger of the operator for manipulation by downward pressure only.

A cross ledge 28 of the casing forms a seat for a coiled compression spring 3 I, which biases the handle outwardly, and a stop for handle movement is provided by a handle lug 36 formed to cooperate vwith a casing lug 31.

The circuit controlling parts of the switch include a stationary Contact 44, formed integral with line terminal I4. Adapted to make butt contact with the stationary contact 44, is a movable contactor or arm E@ to which is riveted at 5i a latch strip 52, with rivet 5l being formed as a pin to provide a loose pivotal connection between the contactor and a plate 53 of insulation, the latter having an elongated slot 54 receiving a stop lug (not shown) formed on the back of the casing.

An operating spring 58 has its lower end in a seat of the casing, and its upper end surrounding a spring lug 58 formed from the contact arm 5d. Spring 5S functions to rotate arm 59 counter-clockwise for circuit opening on the axis ol pivot pin 5l when the latching hook 6G forming the free end of the strip 52 is released from engagement with the holding abutment, i.e., the latching edge 6l of the plate 53. Such release of latch 6B from the holding means El may be effected either automatically on overload or manually by the cainming action providedby a sloping cam B2 of, and integral with,

Spring 5S, whose lower end is forward of its:

upper end, also biases the upper end 65 of the( contactor and strip 52 towards the plate 53 and` casing back l5, to maintaincthezhookpend.502m.

latching engagement with J edges `(i .ofzplat'e :.533 under normal circuit closing conditions;

Strip 52 is shown as made of bimetal, and is in the circuit through contactor- 59. .'lhusist provided one automatic control for unlatchng, operating by warping of strip 52 on ioverload.Y A second and diiierenteor separate automatic control willinow., bedescrihed. Mounted on.;V the back.- of'the.. casing; :andiA connected.; through. it.4 to a load. terminali. (not .-shown);,.-as;by; acrew bolt at 5ta, is a yokefwt containingya,magnetfcoil E53-.in whichis aplungerfiill.. Connecting 00115-53 and strip 52 is a flexible connectorgt 'Al-slot 55, in plate 53, alines with plungerf-:liitolpermit the latter to moveY through it: towards, fand; engage, strip 52,.andzmovefits'hook Eilout; ci contact with edge'iofiplate`53Lforurxlatching This will take place upon the ilow of a large excess ofcurrent throughthe switch; (141-55-52-65- 53-62a) and will: resultginzs-.anc electromagnetic Vunlatching action, quicker than.' would result from the warping of strip.52:.fonuniatching. Qn smallv over-loads, the .electromagneticraction will not. occur, and unla-tching willlbeingresponsei to warping'` ci stripraso that; its; portion .Bil will leave' edge 6l :of iplate 5.3;.

ina circuit opening; action.. springf55; .through pivot axis 5i?, willslide, the; plate 5;3upwardly, with thelatter guidedxby .the;casing; the .engagementv of; thei lower: edgelof: plate. slot 5d with the casing; stop. (not` shown) will)v lim-it, such: move mentrofy the.. plate. Thati stop :will atthat time, function: as a', pivot; forthe plate5- and;y since the line. ofractionzoispring'ff through axis 5I, is4 to the left or that.,pivo.t, platev 5:3will rock clockwise, about that;V stop under the spring biasing force (Fig. 2)'. Y

It has been described:;that the,y unlatching movement of the latch Btl forwardly foi the .holding; means or-edge-.Bl,permits-spring 55 to rock the contactorg5ii-52 counter-elo ckwiseftov openthe, circuit. Ilhisimovement.terminates with the latch; remote; fromv and toi the. left` of holding edgefSLbut resting-on thefsurface` of plate 53. Platefwillhavebeen rocked clockwise. Handle I1'willgwhenreleased, assumez-itsfiullom position (Fig, 2). v

To restore the: parts to the; circuit closing position, the handle l'i is pusheddownasfar; as: it willgo,- and,A it will-go.down far enough, iirst` to,l causezthe: cam ,notch 'It thereof tof en.- gage, aresettingjlug F-Zgof gthefplatei; andsecond, tocause.- the pin 5.1:' tof slide 1 downwardly. That part ofrplate-f531connectinglug 'IEYa-ndpin` 5i acts. asa translator; They contactorwill' movedownwardly ;with,pin.5l vuntil; arm 55 reaches-a resetting; stopil* ofthe casing, although,- -n many instances', that stop will' have been.f engaged ,by the arm. 53. at the :endl of the circuit opening movement ot the arm. -Continued downward movement of the handle, and continued downwardmovement of the4 lug'12h and; pin 5i, will:

cause the contactor to engage stop 'il and rock clockwise cn axis 5l far enough to cause latch 55 to slide over or overtravel beyond holding edge 5i for relatching. The release of the handle by the operator at that time will free the handle to be moved to its outward position by the spring and; as rthefhandle moves outwardly, the spring yi552 willl act on the-contactor. The ccntactor will rock slightly counter-clockwise and .assume its nal on position, with latch 60 engaging holding edge 6l, and with contactor 55 Aabutting contactor M under pressure of spring 55;.Blatea'53wil1lrock counter-clockwise to place ilug, zioutrof .theipath of cam 1I.

TheraisLbutone terminated or rest or nal open circuit position for the Various parts. ConsEQuently.there-is ,but one movement of the handle required for restoring the parts to circuit closing position, regardless of the cause of circuit opening. That movement of the handle, down or; inwardligandthenup or; outwardly when released., recloses the :..c-ircuit..

That part cfeplate, 53, whichA connects and includes.theeresetting lug 'l2-and the hole'for pivot; pin f5.1, maybe considered as a translator; andthe-holdingsu1face 6i of plate 53 may be considered asgseparateand independentfrom the translator; thougiloffcourse, vthey are Yall integral.

It will be obsercedthatgwhen the, latch is released` whether', that is;V causedautomatically or manualmf the.- translatorr moves into position to be; engaged; by; handle .Cain` 'i l, on thev next handle advancerfortranslating; that handle advance into adownward pushionqthe contactor for resetting j its-latch.tofthefholdingmeans ,Inasmuch as the handlamoyement; for: circuit opening is identical with.. its; movement for circuit closing, it is reduiredthat the; translatorfbegnl the handle path, i.;e., .the,path; ofqhandle; cam ll, only when the circuit-is;l cpen;.- and-,that;ittbe: out of the path of cam 'ilrwhen;the-.circuitis closed; that it be constructedf to; provide anroperative connection whenzthe-circuit isopenbetweenthe Yhandle cam Hwand the'latc-n,- to; translate handle advance (cam: 11.-) f into resetting'of; the latch. Therefore. the; 'movement oi. the; contactor; or latch is relied upontordetermine; the position of; the translator. Whenithe.:latchiholdsthetranslator (lug 72) is out orfthe nathgoff. advance of the handle (cam it); andi. whenpthe "latch releases, the translator (lug T2) movestintdtheipath of the handle (cam 'HY' and,.=when1the:.latch relatches, the translator lug moves:uutiofl thegzpath of handle cam li.

.Mountedbn-.platelby. rivets III is a bimetal compensator strip. I i2, whose end I3 is bent forwardlyi and-rnorma'lly in contact with the tip 'l5 of?.the.contactorl Strip H2 controls the position oficontactor- 551and strip 52 mounted thereonwithf respect to plate-'53. Strip H2 is not in circuitfand thus, responds only to-ambient temperatura changes, warping on an increase of ambient ltemperature away from'plate 53 to permit-contactor -55- andstrip 52 to be moved by spring-iiili-towards plate 55.' Thecombined effect of-thewarping ofstrips H2" and` 52, these strips warping -opposi-tel'y,` is' to-maintain the overlap off hook-e lili-'on 'the edgeVV 6 i' ofi plate 5:3 atthe. predetermined amount.-

'Howevery the-tendency-of strip 52Y to warp' in.

response tooverload, is not offset or negated by stripl l l2g-sinceithelatter is not in circuit. The

sole'functiomoffstriptll;therefore, is to prevent' closed, reference is made to the claims which follow.

We claim:

1. In a switch, a contacter, manually releasable latch means connected therewith, spring means for moving the contacter from circuit closing position when it is unlatched, a manually accessible and manually actuated means having a portion for releasing the latch means, a translator for operatively connecting the latch means and the manual means but only when the latch means is unlatched fer enabling the manual means to relatch the latch means, the latch means and translator being interconnected so that unlatchingTI movement acts to position the translator into a manual means engaging path and relatching movement acts to move it out of that path, and an operable electromagnetic means for unlatching said latch means, said translator having an aperture therein and being adjacent to and interposed between said latch means and said automatically operable electromagnetic means, said electromagnetic means including an electromagnet and a member actuatable by said electromagnet arranged opposite said translator aperture whereby said member can act through the aperture to unlatch said latch means and initiate the operation of the switch to the open circuit position.

A switch having a movable contactar, a manually releasable latch secured to said contactor, a spring for moving said cont-actor out of circuit closing position when the latch releases, and for returning it to circuit closing position when the latch is reset, a single means successively manually operable in identical manner for unlatchingI the latch if it is latched, and for relatching the latch if it has been unlatched, means establishing an unlatching connection between the latch and the manual means, and a movable translator for establishing an operative relatching connection between the manual means and the latch, only when the latch is unlatched, and automatically operable latch means, separate from said latch, for automatically and positively moving the latch for unlatching, said automatic unlatching means comprising an electromagnet coil and a plunger, said latch comprisingV a binietal strip connected in circuit and abutting said electromagnet plunger so as to form an air gap between the plunger of the electromagnet the electrcinagnet coil, and a bimetal compensator s rip having one end attached to the translator and the other end abutting a portion of said contacter so as to determine the position of the contacter and therefore the position of th releasable latch relative to said translator and therefore the air gap existing between said plunger and` said electromagnet coil.

ELWGOD T. PLATZ. RUSSELL S. DAVIS.

REFERENCES Cli'lED The following references are of record in the ile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 540,196 Zimmer Jan. 1, 1907 879,935 Colson et al Nov. 12, 1907 1,053,265 Joleen June 3, 1913 1,812,82 Sachs June 30, 1931 2,325,77 Swingle Aug. 3, 1943 2,340,959 Grano Jan, 25, 1944 2,374,773 Platz May 1, 1945 2,385,727 Platz Sept. 25, 1945 2,425,983 Bingenheimer Aug. 19, 1947 2,443,099 Wise June 8, 1948 2,455,753 Getchell Dec. 7, 1948 

